Cupola charger



May 14 1940 J. N. RICHARDSON `2,200,652

CUPOLA CHARGER Filed July l0, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

May 14, 1940. J. N. RICHARDSON cUPoLA CHARGER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledJuly 10, 1936 INVENTOR: Zzc/Zazsorz ATTORNEY.

Patented May 14, 1940 STATES andere PATENT OFFECE 12 Claims.

This invention relates in general to a charger for a furnace, kiln, andthe like, and has more particular reference to a skip-hoist type ofcharger with a vertical cone discharging bucket which is operated by asingle motor.

In the skip-hoist type of charger it has heretofore been the practice toinvert or tip the charging bucket at the upper end of the runway and inthe cone discharge type of bucket a vertical hoist has been combinedwith a horizontal runway requiring two separate operating motors.

The present invention provides a novel means of charging a cupolafurnace with a cone discharge bucket operating on an inclined runwayfrom a depressed loading position the front side of the runway to afixed central discharge position within or above the cupola at the otherside of the runway, at a suitable height.

An important object of the invention is therefore in the provision of amore efficient and a more economical ymechanism than now known in theart for charging cupolas.

A further object of the invention is in the provision of a single motorfor operating a hoist for raising the charging bucket on the inclinedrunway for moving the bucket into the furnace and for verticallydischarging its contents from the bottom, of the bucket.

A further object of the invention is in the provision of means forreversing the motor to raise and lower the discharge cone at the bottomof the bucket without vmoving the bucket for freeing jambed particlesand discharging them from the bucket.

A still further object of the invention is in the provision of acharging bucket having a bottom cone discharge in which the size of thebucket is increased toward the bottom. thereof to prevent jambing theloaded particles thereinA when opening the discharge cone at the bottomof the bucket.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the accompanyingdrawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention in whichFig. l is a side view partly in section illustrat ing the invention asapplied for charging a cupola furnace;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged View of the mechanism at the top of the hoist foroperating the bucket; and

Fig. 3 is a top view of the structure shown in Fig. 2.

In carrying out the present invention a single motor is used for raisingand lowering the hoist from its loading to discharge position, in moV-ing the charging bucket inwardly of the furnace, in discharging thecontents of the bucket from the bottom thereof, and for freeing jambedparticles by raising and lowering the discharge cone at the bottom ofthe bucket.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a furnace 5 of the verticaltype commonly known as a cupola furnace has a suitable supporting andsurrounding framework d rising fromv a base or floor 1 in which is adepressed charging pit 8.

In the upper side of the furnace is a charging opening 9 adapted toreceive a charging bucket I which is mounted upon a carrier H havingwheels I2 and i3 for moving it upon an inclined runway I4 extending fromthe bottoni of the pit 8 up to the edge of the opening Qin the side ofthe furnace. The track or runway I6 has guard rails l throughout aportion or all of its path and the upper end of each guard rail has anupwardly rounded portion i5 near its upper end extending outwardly froma less inclined portion I'I of the runway adjacent the top thereof. Theupper extremity of each guard rail has a curved portion i8 rounded aboutan axis substantially the length of the carrier H for dumping the bucketl0.

For mounting the bucket l0 in the carrier there is an angle lever 20 ateach side of the carrier substantially in the shape of a bell crankmounted at its apex upon a bearing pin of the wheel i2. One extremity ofeach bell crank has a slot 22 adapted to engage a pivoting pin 23projecting outwardly from the bucket, and the other ends of the bellcranks are adapted to engage a cross piece or abutment 24 at the upperlimit of travel of the runway I4 in such a position that the bucket isthen located centrally in the furnace or other opening which it is tocharge.

In the bottom of the bucket is a discharge cone 25 supported at thebottom. of the bucket by a vertical rod extending through the cone andthrough the bucket and having a short link 21 pivoted to the upper endof the bar 26 and to the central portion of a yoke 28 which preferablyforms an extension of the carrier Il inclined from the plane of thewheels l2 and I3.

At the end of the carrier i I opposite the bucket is a counter-weight3i! and connected to the carrier intermediate the wheels is a yoke 3i towhich an operating cable 32 is attached. This cable extends over pulleys33 at the top of the framework 6 and to a winding drum 34 operated by anelectric motor 35. This motor is operated in both directions for raisingand lowering the charging bucket and its carrier as by means of areversing switch (not shown).

At the upper end oi the track or runway I4 is a projection or stop andat theI upper end of the guard rails I5 is a projection or stop 31. Boththe bucket and the counter-weight are of a width to t between thesupporting and guard rails and the hoisting cable being centrallylocated does not come in contact with the rails in any position.

In operation, when the carrier is at the bottom of the runway in thecharging pit it is held in upright position in front of the runway bythe, yoke 28 so that it may be filled from the front side of the runway,and at this time the supporting pins 23 are at the bottom of the slots22. .v

The yoke 3! extends on the outsideof the carrier II and substantially inalignment with the plane of the wheels I2 and I3 until the carrier isnearly at the upper end of the runway. In this position the angulardeviation between the carrier and the lifting cable 32 causes thcweighted end oi" the carrier to be raised in contact with the curvedportions I6 of the guard rails until the wheels I2 contact with theprojections 32 a the end of the runway. At this time the bucket is movedoutwardly by the yoke 28 with the carrying pins 23 riding in the slots22 until the vertical ends of the bell cranks 20 engage their limitingabutment 24. Continued movement of the lifting cable 32 in this positioncauses the weighted end of the carrier to be rotated about the wheels I2as an axis through the arc of the curved section I8 of the guard railuntil the wheels I3 or the counter-weight 30 engages a limiting stop 3T.This movement of the carrier causes its yoke 28 to be depressed, swingsthe bucket through the carrier to the underside of the runway, andallows the weight of the discharge cone 25 and the material within thebucket to move the discharge cone downwardly away from the bottom of thebucket I0 which discharges the material within the bucket from all sidesof the cone, thus charging the furnace equally all around the bucket andpreventing the charge from being dumped in one place as it is when thebucket is inverted as in the ordinary type of charger.

If any of the material within the bucket should happen to stick, a shortraising and lowering operation of the motor 35 causes the material to bedislodged from the bucket and discharged between it and the cone. Forthe purpose of pre venting the material from packing in the bucket it ismade somewhat frusto-conical with a larger opening at the bottom so thatthere is no danger of the materials wedging or packing in place and thuspreventing their discharge when the cone bottom is opened.

To return the bucket to the charging position the above operations arereversed; the lowering of the yoke 3| rotates the carrier downwardly,raising the yoke 28 and returning the cone 25 to close the bottom of thebucket I0. A continued movement of the carrier downwardly to the moresteeply inclined portion of the runway I4 swings the bucket inwardlyuntil its pivots 23 are at the inner ends of the slots of the levers 20and the abutting portions of these levers are substantially parallelwith the base of the carrier. In all positions the charging bucket isheld vertically and there is no tipping of the bucket or accidentaldislodgment of the material from it. The bucket is opened at the bottomand the contents are discharged equally at all sides, thus preventinguneven charging. The discharging and dislodgment of the contents of thebucket is effected entirely automatically and by the operation of thehoisting motor. The movement of the bucket is substantially continuousand only one motor is required for moving it in both directions and tothe charging position and to effect the discharging action thereof.

Although described in connection with a vertical type of furnace thischarger may be operated wherever applicable.

I claim:

l. A furnace charger comprising a runway, a carriage movable on therunway open at the center and a charging bucket with means pivotingr itto swing at one end of the carriage and through the carriage, a dropbottom for the bucket and means on the carriage to support it at thebottom of the bucket, means to engage the bucket pivoting means in itsdischarge location, and

means to move the carriage relative to the bucket in the dischargeposition swinging the bucket through the carriage and lowering thebottom to discharge the contents of the bucket.

2. In a furnace charger, an inclined runway comprising spaced tracks, acarriage movable on the runway, a discharge bucket having a movablebottom discharge, means pivoting the bucket in the carriage for holdingit normally in upright position between the tracks and to swing it fgaging the bucket pivoting means, a connection 2 between the carriageand the discharge bottom oi the bucket, and means for rotating thecarriage with respect to the bucket pivoting means for dropping thebottom with respect to the bucket.

3. In a furnace charger, an inclined runway, a carriage movable on therunway, a bucket of a size to move through the carriage and also throughthe runway, means for pivoting the bucket at one end of the carriage toswing into and through the carriage and track, depending upon theinclination of the track and the inclination of the carriage. means totilt the carriage at the upper discharging end of the run way, a xedstop for engaging the bucket supporting means to hold the bucket in xeddischarge position while the carriage is tilted relatively thereto, andadischarge bottom for the bucket having means connecting it to the carriage for lowering the bottom with respect to thc bucket in thedischarge position.

4. In a furnace charger, an inclined runway, a carriage movable on therunway, a discharge bucket with a movable discharge bottom, means forpivoting the bucket at one end of the carriage to swing independently ofthe carriage, a iixcd stop at the top of the runway to engage the bucketpivoting means, a connection from the carriage to the discharge bottomfor lowering the bottom with respect to the bucket, and a single hoistmeans for moving the carriage and bucket together on the runway untilthe bucket pivoting means engages the stop and for continuing themovement of the carriage with respect to the bucket supporting meansafter the stop is engaged to lower the bottom of the bucket to openposition,

5. In a furnace charger, an inclined runway, a carriage movable thereonhaving an extending yoke at one end, a bottom discharge bucket and meansfor pivotally mounting the bucket to swing within the carriage at theyoke end thereof, a jointed connection for supporting the bottom againstthe lower end of the bucket, the bucket supporting means and the bottomsupporting means suspending the bucket to swing at one end of thecarriage and through the carriage and runway, depending upon theinclination of the runway and the inclination of the carriage in therunway, and a single hoisting means to raise the bucket and carriagetogether to move the bucket to a dischargingvposition and to rotate therear end of the carriage relatively to the bucket supporting means andsaid mounting means comprising arms pivoted to the carriage to guide andlimit the downward movement of the bucket for dropping the bottom withrespect to the bucket for discharging the contents thereof.

6. In a furnace charger, a movable inclined carriage, a bucket having amovable discharge bottom, lever means for pivotally mounting the bucketat the upper end of the carriage to swing in and through the carriage, aconnection between the upper end of the carriage and the dischargebottom which holds the bottom and bucket together when the carriage israised, stop means for engaging the supporting lever for holding thebucket in discharge position and means for raising the lower end of thecarriage with respect to the bucket supporting means for limiting thedownward movement of the bucket and operating the bottom to lower itwith respect to the bucket for discharging the contents thereof.

7. In a furnace` charger, an inclined runway, a carriage movable alongthe runway, a charging bucket having bell cranks pivotally mounted inthe carriage with slotted pivotal connections for the bucket at eachside thereof, a discharge bottom for the bucket, a supporting yokeextending from the carriage and having a connection through the bucketlwith the bottom by means of which the bucket and bottom are suspended toswing in and through the carriage and track in their movement on therunway, a'stop at the upper end of the runway for engaging the bellcrank supporting means and thus holding the bucket xed in dischargeposition, and means for raising the lower end of the carriage to dropthe bottom at the lowerI end of the bucket for discharging the contentsthereof, the relative movement of the carriage and bucket supportingmeans causing the bucket to slide in the slots of the supporting bellcranks.

8. In a furnace charger, an inclined runway having a stop at its upperend, a wheeled carriage movable on the runway including an upper guardrail for the wheels spaced from the lower rails adjacent the top of therunway, a bucket having a movable discharge bottom and means forpivoting the bucket to `swing at the upper end of the carriage, a stopto engage the bucket pivoting means when the carriage engages the stopat the upper end of the runway, a support integral with the carriage forholding the bottom against the lower end of the bucket, and the guardrail having an arcuate section at its upper end so that the lower end ofthe carriage can be swung upwardly with respect to the front end of thecarriage in stop position, the bucket pivoting means when stoppedallowing inward movement of the bucket as the rear of the carriage isswung upwardly, the bottom being then moved downwardly by its support toopen or discharge position.

9. In a furnace charger, an inclined runway having a top portion oflessy inclination and a fixed stop at the upper end, a wheeled carrieron the runway and engageable with the stop, a discharge bucket having amovable bottom and lever means for pivoting the bucket at the upper endof the carriage to swing through the carriage and runway depending uponthe inclination of the runway and of the carriage thereon, an abutmentengaged by the levers when the carriage engages the stop at the upperend of the runway, a projection of the carriage having a connection withthe discharge bottom of the bucket, a guard rail for the carriage wheelsspaced from the runway at the upper end thereof, the bucket supportingmeans and the runway being so disposed that the bucket is suspended infront of the track at the lower end in loading position, and motivemeans comprising a cable attached t0 the lower portion of the carriageand operative to raise the bucket on the runway in the loaded positionuntil the portion of less inclination is reached, to move the front ofthe carriage against the upper stop, to move the bucket supportinglevers against the said abutment, and to raise the lower end of thecarriage about the said stop as an axis, thereby swinging the bottomsupporting projection of the carriage downwardly with respect to thebucket, and thereby swinging the bucket from a loading position at thefront or upper side of the track to a discharging position at the backor lower side of the track.

10. In a furnace charger, an inclined track, a carriage movable on thetrack having a supporting yoke at the top and a discharge bucket mountedto swing on levers pivotedin the yoke end of the carriage, a dischargebottom for the bucket suspended from the yoke and held in verticalposition with the bucket, and means to incline thecarriage on the trackso the bucket and bottom are swung from a loading position on one sideto a discharging position on the opposite side of the track.

11. In a furnace charger, an inclined runway, a carriage movable on ytherunway, la charging bucket having a movable bottom, means pivoted in thecarriage for supporting the bucket to swing therein, a yoke projectingfrom the carriage for suspending the bottom and for holding it and thebucket in a vertical position, the bucket and bottom being mounted toswing through the carriage about the levers and the yoke at the upperend of the carriage so that the bucket may be charged at the front sideof the runway, swung through the carriage to discharge from the bucketat the lower or under side of the runway.

12. In a furnace charger, an inclined runway,

a carriage movable thereon, a bucket having a bottom discharge,supporting means at one end of the carriage for pivotally mounting thebucket and the discharge to swing from a lower loading position atv oneside of the runway, through the runway and carriage to a dischargingposition at the other end of the runway, and means for moving thecarriage and tilting it on the runway, the said supporting means beingmovable by the carriage at the upper end of the runway to hold thebucket in fixed position and the discharge supporting means thereuponbeing actuated as the carriage is tilted to drop the bottom thereof fordischarging the contents of the bucket.

JOI-IN N. RICHARDSON.

